Solar panels have an incredible ability, not just to supply electricity for day-to-day needs and lower electric bills, but to keep the power on when the grid goes down.
That ability was demonstrated in two ways during Hurricane Helene, the Charlotte Observer recounted. Western North Carolina communities left without power in the wake of the disaster turned to new programs for supplying solar energy.
One, the Footprint Project, brought its mobile power station to Poplar, per the article. That station consisted of a Tesla battery and 18 movable solar panels that could be set up in a field. One such station powered a community center, and the other ran the center's well pump to supply water.
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"They were amazed when the generators went off and the lights were still on," Al Miller, who acted as director of disaster ministries for Helene for the Western N.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church, told the Observer.
Generators could have performed the same job, but only as long as there was a continuous supply of fuel, which might not be reliable and would drive up the cost of the disaster relief.
"Fuel is such a precious resource up there," Miller added.
Another project that provided disaster relief through solar power was the backup power microgrid in the remote community of Hot Springs, which has only one unreliable line to the power grid. Duke Energy built a microgrid powered by solar to serve as a backup for the town. When the main power went out, the microgrid kept the power on for the 550-resident community's downtown, including the fire department and a gas station, per the Observer.
Not every home solar array is set up to provide power independent from the grid, like these projects did. However, with a backup battery and the right design, you too can have electricity during a blackout. Plus, your day-to-day power bills will be much lower or even nonexistent. At the same time, you'll be reducing the amount of heat-trapping air pollution caused by generating electricity in your community.
If you're interested in exploring this option for your home, check out EnergySage for fast, reliable solar installation estimates and easy tools to compare deals.
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